This May 25, 2011, crash altered the season for the Giants when catcher Buster Posey was injured. Scott Cousins, then with the Marlins, thundered into Posey, breaking a leg and tearing ankle tendons. Cousins was safe as Posey dropped the ball.

The Giants were 2010 World Series champs with Posey in the lineup; they repeated with him in 2012.

Cousins, a bench player, is now with the Angels. He is from San Francisco.

"If I never hear from Cousins again or he never plays another game in the big leagues, I think we'll all be happy," Giants GM Brian Sabean said at the time.

While admitting reaction to the incident hurt, Cousins told the Los Angeles Times he has put it behind him. "We both understand this is a man's game, and we're going to play like men," Cousins said, referring to Posey. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

Learn more

Everyone thought the All-Star Game was an exhibition — until Pete Rose creamed Ray Fosse in 1970. The game was in Cincinnati; Rose played for the Reds, Fosse for the in-state rival Cleveland Indians.

While Rose was safe and was congratulated by teammate Dick Dietz, Fosse was left with a broken shoulder. The play remains controversial, in part of salute to Rose's "Charlie Hustle" personality, in part because of the context. (AP Photo)

Not coincidentally, many heavy hits delivered to catchers at home plate involve former football players. Example: Darin Erstad, who was a punter at Nebraska, waylaid Braves catcher Johnny Estrada on June 6, 2005. Estrad scored by knocking the ball away from Estrada.

Reaction was mixed, and among the critics on the Braves was another former college football player — outfielder Brian Jordan.

"I respect someone who plays hard," Jordan said. "But to go that high, that's a different story to me. That's a cheap shot."

Estrada left the game with a concussion that derailed his career. Erstad offered an apology.

"I still think it could have been avoided," Estrada said, "but it happened and it's part of my position." (John Bazemore/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Brian Jordan and Gary Bennett, 2003

Brian Jordan wasn't above delivering a blow himself, as he had two years before the Erstad-Estrada incident. On April 16, 2003, Jordan bowled over the Padres' Gary Bennett, scoring from first on a Fred McGriff double.

Bennett left the game with a knee injury. (Chris Carlson/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Anguished Astro

Astros catcher Humberto Quintero grabs his leg after a collision with the Diamondbacks' Ryan Roberts on May 27, 2011. Quintero left the game with a sprained ankle. (Pat Sullivan/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Pudge tag

Catchers aren't always on the receiving end. Ivan Rodriguez
was with the Rangers when he sent Yankees infielder Chuck Knoblauch flying on
this play. It was Sept. 29, 1998, during an American League Division Series
game. (John Dunn/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Charging Chipper

Big players are a load to stop on the basepaths. In this Aug. 31 games last season, Chipper Jones pounds Phillies catcher Erik Kratz. Jones is 6-4, 201 pounds, and even at age 40 he could knock a player sideways.

Kratz, by the way, is 6-4, 255 pounds. (Gregory Smith/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Spring ding

Spring training has its share of home-plate collisions even in spring training. This Grapefruit League smash-up took place March 6, 2012 with the Red Sox's Ryan Lavarnway smacking Orioles catcher Taylor Teagarden. Lavarnway was out on the play. (David Goldman/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Extra-inning drama

With umpire Jim Wolf watching, Nyjer Morgan plows into Marlins catch Brett Hayes on Aug. 31, 2010. Morgan was out on this 10th-inning play, and the Marlins went on to win 1-0. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Called out

Willie Randolph is out at home after trying to dislodge the back from Twins catcher Mark Salas. This play was in a May 14, 1985, game. (Ray Stubblebine/AP)

Advertisement

View FullscreenClose

Hats off

Helmets fly as the Athletics' Jack Hannahan smacks into Mariners catcher Jeff Clement on July 9, 2008. Hannahan was safe on the play. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Down and out

Home plate umpire Mike Everitt has bad news for the Twins' Delmon Young. That's the Rangers' Yorvit Torrealba showing the ball on a July 26, 2011, play. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Twist and shout

Chase Utley hits the ground after being tagged out by the A's Kurt Suzuki on June 25, 2008. (Ben Margot/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Lost a cleat

Indians catcher Carlos Santana is clobbered by the Red Sox's Ryan Kalish so hard he loses his left shoe. Santana blocked home with his left leg on this Aug. 2, 2010 play. He was carted off the field with his leg in an air cast.

According to NESN.com: "The force of the slide bent Santana's knee the wrong way, forcing a delay of roughly 15 minutes." Santana's season was over; Kalish was out. (Charles Krupa/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Fenway traffic

There's no love lost when the Red Sox face the Yankees, as Eric Hinske proves by slamming into Jorge Posada on Sept. 15, 2007. (Winslow Townson/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Pirate punch

That's the Pirates' Ed Sprague trying to knock the ball away from Astros catcher Tony Eusebio in a May 30, 1999, game. No luck: Eusebio held on. (Gary Tramontina/AP)

View FullscreenClose

'Tek tumble

A few seasons after their World Series sweep, the Red Sox faced the Cardinals again in June 2008. Sox catcher Jason Varitek holds the ball after a home-plate collision. (Winslow Townson/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Playoff push

Walt Weiss, now Rockies manager, bangs into Padres catcher Jim Leyritz in an Oct. 10, 1998, playoff game. Weiss was playing for the Braves, who lost this game. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)

View FullscreenClose

Wrigley wreck

Score one for the Phillies: Pat Burrell knocks the ball away from Cubs catcher Henry Blanco and is safe on this Aug. 21, 2006, play. (Jeff Roberson/AP)

View FullscreenClose

South Side scrap

When the Cubs and White Sox meet, the fun begins. The Sox's A.J. Pierzynski, a catcher himself, is safe in this collision with Michael Barrett. Both benches emptied and a brawl began when Barrett punched Pierzynski. (Jeff Roberson/AP)